Another Life, Another War
by FinalPhantasm
Summary: [Hakuouki SSL AU] All seven Masters have at last summoned their Servants and thus, the 5th Holy Grail War has begun. Follow the lives of these familiar faces as they battle not only to survive each other, but also the enemies who lurk in the shadows out of sight. How far are these Masters willing to go to achieve their ultimate goal of winning the Holy Grail?
1. Prologue

_(Hello readers. I really wanted to create a more traditional Fate crossover so I decided to make one based on Hakuouki SSL! Enjoy your read!_

_**EDIT: **When I first uploaded this I forgot that this website doesn't carry over line breaks from microsoft word. Sorry for the confusion! The problem has been fixed now.)_

Prologue

Cold winds blew heavy droplets of rain against the window panes of the Yukimura residence. The dreary weather of the night seemed almost fitting for what was taking place in the basement of the home of three. Down in the hidden floor under the house stood a father who only smiled at the sight of his children on either side of him. On one side of the basement stood his son Kaoru with a look of cold determination on his face and opposite to him was his twin sister Chizuru, who looked more than a little apprehensive about what was to come. The clock behind Kodo Yukimura struck midnight and he gave them the nod to go ahead with their rituals.

Chizuru and Kaoru simultaneously held their hands out to the summoning circles in front of them and began issuing the chant their father instructed them to. Each sibling had a set of red symbols etched onto their hands that showed their right to complete this ritual. The twins gave each other one last look as they neared the middle of their chants when their circles exploded with energy. The air kicked up around them to blow through their hair and scatter stray research papers across the room. Chizuru clutched her outstretched wrist with her other hand and her eyes screwed shut in pain from the strain this was putting on her body. She kept going though, kept issuing word after word of the incantation. She knew that Kaoru, without even seeing him, was pushing through this without any trouble. She needed to be strong like him.

"_I announce."_

"_Yourself is under me, my fate is in your sword."_

The furniture in the room slammed back into the walls with a loud bang, startling her, but she pressed on. Chizuru would make her family proud.

* * *

"_In accordance with the resort of the Holy Grail, if you abide by this feeling, this reason, then answer."_

With his blood still dripping from his outstretched hand, Toshizo Hijikata's strong voice echoed in the dark forest around him, where the trees swayed heavily in the conditions they were forced to withstand. Rain poured down around him but the barrier he set up to protect him from the elements did its job. His beautiful darkly colored hair remained dry, but was unable to keep its style from the chaotic nature of this ritual.

Behind him and also within the confines of the barrier stood a man who looked about ten years older than Hijikata. His face was laced with concern, not only for the success of the summoning, but the safety of his friend. He had been assured by Hijikata that there was no way he would fail in something so elementary, but Isami Kondou could not help but worry for his friend.

"_Here is my oath. I am the one who becomes all the good of the world of the dead, I am the one who lays out all the evil of the world of the dead."_

As Hijikata issued the final line of the incantation the circle exploded in a wave of light so brilliant Kondou was forced to cover his eyes.

* * *

"_You, seven heavens clad in three words of power, arrive from the ring of deterrence, oh keeper of the balance!"_

The swirling currents of air exploded in that instance around the blinding pulse of light emitting from the summoning circle. Heisuke Toudou stumbled back with a cry of surprise and narrowly avoided falling flat on his back side. Behind him, his parents slowly lowered their arms from their eyes and let out astonished gasps at the sight before them.

"He did it… the boy actually did it…" His mother's tone of disbelief would normally cut through him, but this situation was anything but normal.

Before him, standing proud and tall in the summoning circle, was a man clothed entirely in blue, skin tight apparel with matching blue hair, silver earrings , and perhaps most strikingly of all, blood red eyes. Those orbs of red eyed Heisuke first, then shifted to his parents, before settling back on him.

"Yo."

Heisuke's brows drew together. What kind of greeting was that from a Heroic Spirit? The man's lips curled upwards into a smirk, showing off a pair of two sharp canine teeth.

"You my Master, kid?"

* * *

A woman clad in a form fitting short dress stood quietly in the center of Chizuru's summoning circle. Long black boots stretched up her long legs and gloves of a similar style covered her arms. Her long purple hair flowed down to her ankles and a blinder of almost the same color as her hair was placed securely around her eyes.

Chizuru smiled upon seeing the woman before promptly collapsing to her knees. Her breaths came in short pants and her body suddenly felt sore after all the effort she put into pulling this off.

"I am Servant Rider. I ask you, are you my Master?"

The woman's sultry voice was so fitting for her appearance. If Chizuru was not so drained at that moment then she would have felt embarrassed for her Servant's appearance. Her father came over in that moment and helped her back up to her feet. She quietly thanked him and held onto his arm for support before hesitantly answering the woman's question.

"Y-Yes, I am. My name is Chizuru Yukimura." She bowed politely and then felt a little silly for doing so when the woman was wearing a blinder. "I hope I can meet your expectations."

Her father looked down at her with a suddenly stern expression. "Chizuru, you are _her _Master. Don't act so meek about your status."

Chizuru tensed. "O-Oh, yes of course! I'm sorry father."

If the woman had any reaction to their short exchange she let none of it show on her features. The fact that Chizuru could not see the Servant's eyes only unsettled her further. Behind the darkly clad Servant, Kaoru watched his father and twin sister bask in the glory of _her _successful summoning. His eyes narrowed and shifted back to his own Servant in front of him who had yet to speak. He could tell it was a woman beyond that, nothing. Her features were covered in heavy robes from head to toe that clearly implied she was a spell caster. She seemed to be eyeing him up as well for a small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth upon seeing the look of jealousy in his eyes.

"Hmm, so are you the one I'll be addressing as Master?" Her voice was smooth and laced with amusement.

He crossed his arms and glared at her less than formal introduction. "Yes, I am. I'm guessing you're of the Caster class?"

"Correct." Her smooth voice sent shivers down his spine.

"I'm Kaoru Yukimura. Over there is my sister, Chizuru, and my father, Kodo. We'll be working together with them and her Servant to win the Grail War. Understand?"

"Of course, your wish is my command, Master." She bowed with that unsettling smile still playing at her lips.

* * *

Kondou slowly lowered his hands from his face and was about to call out to Hijikata when he stopped, his eyes widening upon seeing the man standing before his friend. The stranger's skin was tan and his hair was pure white. He was dressed mostly in black and wore a red jacket over his clothing. The man's eyes swept over Hijikata with mild interest then drifted to Kondou for a few seconds, before shifting back to the violet haired man in front of him.

"Are you my Master?" The question that slipped lazily out of the man's mouth was laced with disappointment at the sight of Hijikata.

Hijikata raised his brow at the tone of the man's voice. "Yes that I am. What Servant are you and what is your identity?"

The man closed his eyes and sighed regretfully at his Master's words, as if he had been hoping by some off chance this was simply a bad dream. "I am of the Archer class. As for my identity…" He opened his eyes after a moment and glanced to the trees behind Hijikata in thought. "That's odd."

Hijikata crossed his arms and glared at his Servant. "What's the issue here? Can't you remember your name?"

Archer met his Master's eyes and a sarcastic smirk spread across his lips. "No, I can't seem to recall it. It seems my Master made a mistake when he summoned me."

Hijikata's face twisted into a scowl as his fists tightened. "There was no mistake in your summoning, Servant. What the hell is going on here?"

Archer simply shrugged in response, a look of mock sorrow on his face. "Clearly you are an inexperienced magus. I am truly unfortunate to be paired with a novice like you."

"Shut the hell up. That's not how you talk to your Master."

"Well obviously that _is _how I talk to him so…"

The hand which his command seals were drawn on twitched slightly. It was so tempting to use one of these absolute commands to force this rebellious Servant to respect him but that would only fuel the man's insults further. "Are you being serious when you say that you can't remember your identity? Does nothing come to mind?"

"Would I lie to you, Master?" The sarcastic smirk that Hijikata was starting to hate was back.

"Not if you know what's good for you," Hijikata muttered darkly. He pressed his fingers against his chin and frowned at Archer. "We can deal with this mishap later on I guess. What's important is, can you still fight without even knowing who you are?"

Archer took a moment of consideration before responding. "Yes, your prana supply at least is exceptional. I will be able to fight for you at full strength. That's all that matters, really."

Hijikata nodded in agreement. "My name is Toshizo Hijikata and," he hooked his thumb to point behind him, "back there is Isami Kondou, who is my mentor and will be assisting us in the War."

Kondou came to stand beside Hijikata with a welcoming smile directed at Archer. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm sure we can sort out your memory issue eventually but for now please fight by our side."

"Not like I have much choice in the matter," Archer chided. Kondou grabbed Hijikata's arm to stop the man from trying to beat some respect into his Servant.

* * *

The Holy Grail War was well on its way to starting. All across the city, familiars known as Heroic Spirits were entering this world to do battle with each other for the Holy Grail. With the summoning of the four Servants that night there was only one final step for the War to get underway. Luckily for a certain young, sickly magus, the final key was in fact the last unsummoned Servant.

In a decrepit shed located on the old haunted temple grounds on the outskirts of town, this magus was having a more difficult time than the others did with this ritual. A familiar itch came to the back of his throat as he hurriedly croaked out line after line the incantation he had spent weeks reading over, memorizing every single word. He was not sure what would happen if the chant was interrupted and he did not care to find out. His blood continued to drip from his palm as the stale air kicked up around him. He brought his other arm up in front of him to shield his eyes from the dust when, at last, he was finished.

"…_arrive from the ring of deterrence, oh keeper of the balance."_

The circle in front of him exploded into pure light with enough force to knock him back against the shed wall. He rubbed his head and grunted in pain before he slowly raised his head.

"Did… did it work?" He mumbled to himself. His green eyes could barely see through all the clouds of dust and dirt the ritual had kicked up. He felt a prick of pain on his forearm and immediately he yanked his sleeve up to see that an intricate red symbol had formed there. A wide grin spread across his face despite the ever growing discomfort in the back of his throat.

When the dust began to settle he could at last pick out a shadowy figure standing in the center of his circle. Whoever it was stepped forward into the light the moonlight light coming in from the only window in the shed and he nearly gasped upon seeing _her_.It took all his effort not to let out a triumphant whoop of success. This was it; he beat all the odds and had entered the War.

The person before him was no more than a girl who looked a little younger than him and much shorter as well. She wore a blue dress that was encased in heavy steel armor with a blue design on the breastplate. Her blonde hair was tied back into an elegant bun by a ribbon of the same color as her dress. The girl's entire demeanor commanded respect just by her standing there silently. The best part of all, was that she was _very_ easy on the eyes. He was a little worried he would wind up with some grouchy old geezer who smelled like old beans. Her piercing green eyes stared into his own, quietly regarding him with that mesmerizing stare before at last she broke the silence with her quiet, yet firm voice.

"I am Servant Saber. I have heeded your call and accepted your summonings. I ask of you, are you-"

Her introduction was unfortunately cut short. His body hunched over and he hacked out several ragged coughs onto his sleeve. She was at her side in an instant with a look of concern gracing her beautiful features. He tried to smile and wave this off as nothing important when his body was overtaken with another round of coughing and suddenly standing felt like such a chore. The strength in his legs gave out and he would have collapsed head first into the ground if the girl had not caught him in her arms. The steel gauntlets covering her hands and reaching up her forearms were cold to the touch, even though his layers of clothing. She gently set him down on the floor and rested his back against the wall as his coughing fit slowly subsided.

"Are you alright?"

His eyes, which had been previously screwed shut, slowly opened to meet hers. "Hmm, we just met and you already can't keep your hands off me." Her eyes only narrowed in response and her touch left him when she stiffly returned to her feet. He let out a small laugh at her reaction. "Yeah, I'm used to this, don't worry about it." She nodded though he could still see some worry left in her gaze. "So, what were you about to "ask of me"?"

"I simply wanted to complete our contract," she said, ignoring his obvious chide at her formal way of speaking. "Simply answer me this, are you my Master?"

He almost felt giddy upon hearing the question leave her lips. "Yeah, that I am."

"Then our contract is complete, Master. From here on I will serve as your sword in this war and I promise you, I will win us the Holy Grail."

His face twisted up for a moment as if he tasted something bad which made Saber step closer to him in case he started coughing again. "Hey, that's great and all, but don't call me Master. Sounds good, don't get me wrong, just not in this context."

He was a little disappointed to see that his remark was either ignored or went completely over her head. "Very well then. May I have your name, sir?"

Sir? That was even worse. Made him sound old. "It's Okita Souji."

She nodded and for the first time a smile spread across her lips, albeit a small one, but he would take what he could get. "I will address you as Souji, then."

"Souji? Hmm, we really are moving fast." He briefly relished the sight of his Servant's brow twitching at the sing song tone of his voice. "What about you? Got a name besides Saber?"

"I am sure you have many questions. However, that is hardly the conversation to be having in a toolshed that is not even protected in a barrier. I suggest we return to your base of operation before discussing such things. For now, please call me Saber."

"Saber it is then." He let out a quiet sigh, already imagining his impressive looking Servant's reaction to seeing their "base" in this war. She looked like a knight who was probably more accustomed to a castle than the tiny apartment that awaited her. Hell that would be nothing in comparison to when he revealed a bit about himself as well. He pushed his body up off the floor and once he knew he could keep himself up right he stepped toward the door of the shed. Saber fell in line behind him and together they stepped out into the blustering winds of the night with the stars watching over them from above.


	2. They Get Along So Well

_(Thanks to school I haven't been able to write a whole lot. Sorry about the delay on this chapter.)_

* * *

Chapter 1

The journey home was for the most part uneventful for Okita and his Servant. They had their first spat when it turned out that the strain from summoning Saber had been too much for Okita's sickly body and his knees gave out beneath him. Saber insisted on carrying him the rest of the way and Okita made a huge fuss about Saber moving their relationship too fast. After several moments of arguing in the street they finally reached a compromise of Okita putting an arm around Saber's shoulders for support and walking beside her. Other than that, their journey was for the most part quiet.

When they reached the fourth floor of his apartment complex he could feel Saber tense beside him. As he slipped his key into the locks he could feel her eyes scanning the surrounding area with heavy caution.

"Souji, this location is ill advised for a base of operations. There are far too many people around and it is hardly secure at all."

The door clicked and swung open before them. He led her inside despite her protests and sent a grin her way. "Well, I hope you're good at your job then." She let out a quiet huff and after making sure he safely made it to the couch she immediately began scoping out his apartment without even asking. He grunted in annoyance when she barged into his room, which he had not bothered tidying up yet, and watched her come out a moment later with her usual stoic expression. He really did not like how hard she was to read because her true feelings on the adult magazines on his bed would have been priceless.

Other than his room, his apartment was fairly clean. A few dirty dishes remained in the sink from the quick dinner he had prepared before he left but otherwise the kitchen was clean enough. The main room had a good sized TV on top of a stand which also had an Xbox resting dormant on one of the shelves. A few games and controllers were scattered across the coffee table in front of the couch but otherwise the room was clutter free. Saber walked over to the door wall that opened up to a small balcony outside and peeked between the blinds.

"I would advise you to clean your room, Souji. One small misstep and we could have an early exit to this war."

He crossed his arms and sent a glower her way. "Do you have anything positive to say, Your Majesty?"

She rested her chin in the palm of her hand for a moment in thought before speaking. "The barrier you have erected here is well made. It should be enough to keep familiars away and warn us of intruders."

"See, was a little praise so hard? You shouldn't think so little of me, Saber." He drew out the last syllable of her name a few seconds longer than he needed to with a smirk.

She rested a hand on her hip and fixed him in a hard stare while clearly second guessing whatever higher power decided they were a good match. "It will suffice for now but I suggest we move to a more suitable location soon." Her eye lids closed shut and a few seconds later her armor glowed in a warm blue light before dissipating into thin air, leaving her in the blue dress she wore underneath. Okita noted that while all that armor did hide her figure from view, there was not a whole lot to conceal in the first place. Saber was, to put it simply, flat. If she noticed his wandering gaze she made no mention of it and instead sat on the opposite end of the couch from him with her hands folded in her lap. "Now then, I believe we should take this time to share information on each other. I am curious to know what sort of magic you specialize in."

He shifted uncharacteristically in his seat. "How about you go first? I'm nowhere near as interesting as a Heroic Spirit."

She raised her brow but nodded in consent. "Very well then. I will start by telling you about who I was in life." Okita unconsciously leaned forward with interest. He already had a good guess as to who his Servant was. A European female knight covered head to toe in steel who most likely wielded a sword, since she's a Saber, and clearly possessed a great deal of charisma despite her quiet nature. If he had to guess, he would say Saber's real name was-

"My true identity is King Arthur."

-not that.

* * *

Heisuke was alone with his Servant now. His parents left maybe ten minutes ago after his mother had enough of his Servant's rather flippant personality.

"Please tell me I'm not going to have to answer to my Master's _mother_ for this entire war. I didn't sign on for that." Lancer was leaned up against the wall next to the bay window that Heisuke was sitting in. The young Master grumbled something unintelligible and let the question hang in the air unanswered. "Damn it man, grow a back bone! You're the Master here, not her."

Heisuke growled in frustration while resisting the urge to slug the guy. "I _know_ that, man! But you can't just call her an "old hag" and expect things to be smooth sailing!"

The blue haired man chuckled while thinking back fondly on meeting Mrs. Toudou. He was barely oriented to being summoned into the world before the damn woman started issuing a shit load of orders to him and going over the dos and don'ts of going about winning the Grail. Lancer stated his feelings on that in the most polite way he knew how to. "Quit your yapping, you old hag. The kid here's my Master, not you," was how he ever so eloquently put it. The woman nearly exploded and it took all of her husband's power to remove her from the room before she throttled Lancer.

"I meant what I said, Master. The only orders I'll follow have to come from _you._ Better figure out how to deal with her quick because I'm not budging on that." He muttered some disrespectful comment under his breath that earned him a glare that he pointedly ignored. "What's her deal anyway? Shouldn't she be beaming with pride over her son's success?"

Heisuke rubbed his forehead in an attempt to sooth his growing headache. "She's… not actually my mom." He waited for a snarky comment about that but was surprised when he was answered only in silence. "My dad had an affair years ago and, well, I was the result. I was with my real mother for the first three years but…" He trailed off as he gazed outside as though looking somewhere far away. "She passed away and I had to come live here. You can guess where her "loving" attitude came from with that."

When Heisuke looked over at Lancer he was surprised to see a scowl on the man's face. "Not your fault how you were born. Woman needs to lighten up."

Heisuke shrugged indifferently but inwardly he was a little warmed by Lancer's complaint. He could never tell anyone about this at school because his family had an image to uphold. On the rare occasion he brought friends over his stepmother was suddenly the sweetest woman to walk the earth. She even had cupcakes prepared for them once. It was creepy. "Yeah well nothing I can do about it. Maybe when I win them the Grail she'll lighten up."

Lancer grunted like he had been punched in the stomach. "What, you serious? You're putting your life on the line for the Grail and you're not even fighting for yourself? What the hell man!"

Heisuke hurriedly waved his hands for Lancer to lower his voice. "Don't give her a reason to come charging back in here you ass. Yeah, I'm not getting the Grail for myself. So what?"

His Servant shook his head in disappointment. "The Grail is omnipotent, you dumb ass. Just wish for a new set of parents or something and don't waste the damn thing by giving it away, dipshit."

Heisuke jumped to his feet and the only thing stopping him from taking a swing at the much taller Lancer was the Servant's hand planted firmly on his forehead. The scene really brought to light how significant their height difference was.

When Heisuke's father came back to check on his son a few minutes later he was just in time to witness Lancer throw Heisuke to the ground and put him in a headlock. The Servant laughed boisterously while underneath him Heisuke gasped and hollered while wriggling around like a fish out of water.

Lancer looked up at Heisuke's father with a huge grin. "Don't worry pops! It'll be over as soon as the kid begs for mercy!" He ignored both father and son's protests until his Master finally screamed out his surrender followed by several profanities that could be heard all over the house.

* * *

"That is certainly an interesting ability you have, Rider." Kodo stroked his chin and eyed the masked Servant thoughtfully from across the table. "Just how willing are you to use it?"

Chizuru shifted in her seat next to Rider who stood unmovingly next to her. Since the summoning, her father had taken the pair to the kitchen table upstairs and had been explaining the Yukimura team up to Rider while learning as much as he could about her abilities. Rider's true identity came as a shock to both father and daughter, who were under the assumption that only heroes could be summoned in this war. However, her father seemed for the most part unconcerned for her true name and instead pressed on with great interest. His held a strange light behind them upon hearing of Rider's Blood Fort Andromeda ability. To Chizuru, it sounded absolutely horrifying and she could never even consider using it. Her father, however, pressed the woman for every detail on it. Her father's question was not even aimed at her. It was like he no longer registered she was in the room. Chizuru looked up apprehensively at Rider for any hint of what she was feeling but the woman was as blank as ever.

Finally, after what felt like a year, Rider replied. "If it is my Master's order to use it, I will obey." There was an almost undetectable emphasis in the way she said "Master".

Kodo faltered for a moment and a look passed across his face too quickly for Chizuru to read it. He suddenly glanced at Chizuru as if just remembering she was there. A familiar, gentle smile suddenly spread across his face and instantly Chizuru's nerves were calmed. "That's all I needed to hear. You'll be in charge of my daughter's safety and I need to be absolutely certain that you will not endanger her by actin on your own." He waited for the woman to reply but when no words were offered in return, his kind smile twitched in annoyance. He pushed his chair back and stood briskly to his feet. "I will go talk to Kaoru now. Chizuru, you should get some rest now. Just because you're a Master doesn't mean you get to skip school tomorrow."

Chizuru watched him leave and let out a tiny sigh as she stood to her feet as well. "There's a guest room beside mine that you're free to use." She glanced at Rider, hoping for some sort of reaction, but received the same cold treatment her father did.

After she trudged her way upstairs and into her room, Chizuru collapsed onto her bed after only just realizing how completely exhausted she was. Her thoughts drifted to Rider, who now stood silently in the doorway. Chizuru really was not sure what to think of her at this point. Just a few minutes ago, she learned this Servant's true name was Medusa, who was infamously known as a hideous snake headed monster. This woman was anything but ugly, and her hair was clearly just, well, hair. Was this perhaps what Medusa looked like before she was cursed? It made sense, since at that point she was well known for her beauty.

What about Rider's disturbing ability though? Her Noble Phantasm, Blood Fort Andromeda, sounded absolutely appalling. Chizuru would never even dream of ordering such an ability to be used, but her father seemed a little _too_ interested in it, despite his poor attempt to play it off. The Blood Fort, once set up around a target area, could suck the life force out of any living beings within the field. Anyone caught inside would disintegrate into dust while their energy transferred into Rider. It certainly sounded like a useful ability for powering up a Servant but Chizuru could never throw away lives like that just to get ahead in this fight.

"Master, is something wrong?"

Chizuru nearly jumped off the bed in shock. "W-What? No, everything's fine. Why do you ask?"

"You've been staring at me. Is there something you wish to ask?"

Chizuru sat up quickly as her face reddened from embarrassment. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to! I just-" she stopped herself from making a speech of an apology. Rider did not _seem_ offended by Chizuru's slip up and now was as good a time as any to get some information now that they were alone. "Well, I was just thinking about your Noble Phantasm," she said meekly. "Would you… Would you really use it?"

"As I said to your father, if you order me to then I will obey." Unlike with her father, however, Rider answered immediately.

"Would you want to though?" Chizuru averted her eyes away from the Servant and bit her lip nervously. Rider did not answer right away and Chizuru wondered if she would even bother replying.

"You know who I am, Master. Is that not enough to know my feelings?" There was a certain steel behind Rider's words that was not present before. Chizuru almost backed down in that instance. Almost.

With a shake of her head, Chizuru pressed on with sudden surge of bravery. "You haven't even been here for an hour. Reading a few pages about your legend isn't really enough to know you as a person. I need to hear it from you." Chizuru had a hard time telling but it seemed like Rider was caught off guard by that.

"I will do what I must to keep you safe but… I would prefer not to take so many lives if I could avoid it," she said with some hesitation, as if she had never been asked about something as simple as her opinion before.

Chizuru smiled happily. Those were definitely not the words of a "monster". She scooted over to provide more room on her bed at patted the spot beside her. "Why don't you have a seat? I want to talk more and I can't have you standing the whole time."

Rider, after a moment of uncertainty, walked over and took a seat next to Chizuru on her bed. Now that they were next to each other, Chizuru could not help but notice how much longer Rider's legs were than her own. Of course, legs were not the only thing Rider had more of but that train of thought was a little too embarrassing to follow.

"Chizuru, you really should rest if you insist on going to school tomorrow."

Chizuru shrugged and let out a tiny laugh. "I know, I know. I don't think I'll be able to get much sleep though. Besides, after tonight we might not get a lot of chances to talk like this. I want to get to know you as well as I can in the time we have together." Her friendly smile somehow grew even wider. True she was spent from all the work she put into the summoning but she meant everything she said. Rider seemed about to argue further but at the last second let it drop.

That was when Chizuru realized something. "Rider, you called me by my name."

The woman fidgeted upon realizing her mistake and clasped her hands tightly together in her lap. "I apologize Master, it will not happen ag-"

Chizuru waved her hands in the air quickly while laughing. "No, no, it's fine! I don't mind whatever you call me but that sounds a lot better than "Master" in my opinion."

Rider nodded but her hands remained tightly clamped together. Could she really be embarrassed? Chizuru tried her best to stifle her giggles before she further embarrassed the poor woman further.

* * *

After Kodo took Chizuru upstairs, Caster had requested an area where she could set up her own work shop. Since the entirety of that room was taken up by Kodo's research, Kaoru had to take her to a different and smaller room down one of the halls. Judging by the way her lips thinned and the slight change of tone in her voice, Caster had clearly been expecting something other than the small square room he took her to. He shrugged and offered no apology, instead stating she would have to work with what she had.

They spent nearly an hour arranging the wooden furniture to positions of her liking and he brought her any spare items that his father no longer had a use for. When they found themselves in the same room with each other for more than a few seconds they would share a little about their skills with each other. Caster's true name was Medea and it somehow felt fitting that Kaoru would summon someone like her. Caster's skills included high speed spell casting, item and territory creation, and an interesting Noble Phantasm called Rule Breaker that sounded handy enough. She shared very little about her past in comparison to what she shared about her power as a Servant, and he did not bother looking into it. He knew little more than surface knowledge about Medea and was sure if he needed to find out more there were plenty of sources he could turn to for more information.

"Surely there must be a better location for me to work." Caster repeated the same complaint he had heard over a dozen times in the past twenty minutes. He pointedly ignored her and pretended to suddenly be very interested in one of his father's spell books while being all too aware of the unhappy glare he was being fixed in. "Master, my abilities are being hampered by this cavern of a workshop. If you would let me I could find a far more suitable location for my work."

Kaoru shook his head and tried not to show just how annoyed he was with her constant griping. "My father would never allow us to work outside of this home. For his strategy to work we must remain together in a location we are familiar with." It was the same answer he gave her the last time she asked, and the time before that, and yet he knew that in about five minutes he would have to give it again.

"If you Masters will not be engaging in direct combat, then why does your _father_ get any say in these matters?" Caster herself seemed to be approaching her limit.

Kaoru closed the book in his hands and dropped it on the table next to him with more force than he intended. "If it were only my father then I would be more than happy to find you an ample location for you to work with. That just isn't possible with our current situation," he said with a terse, frustrated voice.

"What exactly makes this situation so impossible to work with?" Caster turned to look at him with interest when she noticed the bite in his words. Kaoru glanced away from her and was not too sure what to say. Servants were bound to Masters but they had wills of their own. Caster was perfectly capable of taking anything he said and taking if back to Kodo. He could not risk that.

A smile slowly spread across Caster's face as though she knew exactly what he was thinking. "Master, I can assure you that you can trust me. I would _never_ betray your trust in me." She placed a hand over her chest as though to emphasize her supposed loyalty.

"Tch, I'm sure you wouldn't," he muttered darkly.

"Ah, I think I understand. You don't trust him, do you?" Kaoru shifted where he stood as Caster put down the equipment she was handling and approached him. "You are an intelligent boy. Surely you can see how much of a hindrance this alliance is to both of us when we could relocate and gain an immense advantage."

"If we were to leave," Kaoru stopped, arguing within himself about Caster's trust worthiness before at last giving in. "If we were to leave then we would be leaving Chizuru here on her own. I don't trust Kodo enough to do that to her."

He nearly popped a blood vessel when Caster suddenly started laughing at him. "What exactly is so funny about that?"

She continued to laugh, however, and did not seem like she would finish any time soon. He tapped his foot impatiently until she finally calmed herself enough to speak. "Master, I can sense that you and I are very much alike. That is why I was so positive that you had some ulterior motive for working with your father, and quite honestly I thought perhaps you wished to steal your sister's Servant for yourself." She let out another laugh when Kaoru scoffed at the very notion of betraying Chizuru like that. "Never had I imagined that you have a shred of decency in that twisted heart of yours." He continued to glower at her when she turned around and went back to setting up. For some reason he felt that she was pleased with what she heard but maybe it was just him.

There was no way Caster could know just how much her words affected him, and he was glad she did not; otherwise she might prod him further for fun. If he was the man he used to be, perhaps Kaoru may have done exactly as she said he would. Caster said he had a twisted heart, and that may be so, but there was no denying that this time he would always put Chizuru before himself. He failed her once, and he would not do so again.

Kaoru heard the door to the basement swing open so he left Caster to her work and went back to the main room where he saw Kodo waiting at the base of the stairs. Kaoru nodded in acknowledgement and his father did the same.

"Kaoru, I want you to meet me at the hospital tomorrow. Bring Caster along with you."

"What about Chizuru?"

"Send her home right after school, of course." Kodo waited to see if Kaoru had anything else to say before he turned around and went back up the steps. "Don't stay up too late. Have a good night."

Kaoru went back to Caster and he was glad she had enough sense not to ask why he looked so troubled.

* * *

"So let me get this straight, you married Guinevere, fathered a son, and somehow managed to fool an entire kingdom into thinking you're a man, all the while being and looking very much like a woman?"

Saber ground her teeth in frustration and nodded tensely. Okita could see the urge to run out on the balcony and scream out her frustrations was growing more and more by the second.

"Souji, we have more important matters to discuss than these unimportant facts of my life. I am aware that my gender puts my story at odds with the original legend but that is a discussion we should save for a later time."

Okita completely ignored her grumblings and nearly rolled off the couch from laughing too hard. "If people had a hard time seeing _you_ were a girl I wonder what the actual men looked like. I mean, damn Saber, you aren't fooling anyone in this day and age." He raised a finger to point at her and said, "Hell, you're even wearing a dress. A _dress!_ I mean, seriously."

Saber jumped to her feet and let out a growl of frustration as she glared down at Okita with anger just waiting to be unleashed on her irritating Master. "That is not the issue right now! I demand that you cease your foolishness at once or I will-"

"Eeh, you'll do what, Saber? You wouldn't do anything to harm your Master, would you?" Okita hugged himself with mock fear and looked up at her with wide, innocent eyes. "I thought you were more honorable than that."

Saber sputtered and stammered as her frustration reached its peak. Okita grinned innocently while mentally celebrating cracking her on the very first night he summoned her. He never knew Servants would be so much fun.

"Besides, what more is there to learn about your skills? You have that invisible sword of yours along with what might be the best Noble Phantasm to compliment it. Along with that, you're a Saber. You've got the best stats out of all the Servants and you're a master at the sword. As if you didn't need anything else, you're King Arthur, the most famous hero of them all. The only disadvantage you have is that for some reason you can't dematerialize into spirit form." Okita leaned back on the couch with his hands resting behind his head. "I really don't think there's anything else I need to know because I've got the best damn Servant in this war."

Saber put a hand on her hip and continued to glare at him, though she seemed somewhat placated by the fact that he stopped teasing her For now, at least. "While I do appreciate your faith in my skills, you have yet to share any information about yourself. I need to know if I can depend on you to support me in our fights."

Okita kicked his legs up on the couch where Saber had been previously sitting and stretched out his tired limbs. He really wanted to go to sleep more than anything else but the last thing he wanted was for Saber to know that. She seemed like the sort of Servant who would enter over protective mother mode at the slightest hint of fatigue.

"There's not much to know about me. Honestly, if I tell you too much you might leave me for another man." His eyes closed and his lips curled down into a sad frown. They even quivered slightly for extra effect. "I don't think I could handle seeing you hanging around some other guy like that. I can be very jealous, you know."

"It is imperative that you share this information with me. I promise on my honor as a knight I will never betray you." He raised an eyelid upon hearing that. Saber actually looked offended by his implications and he almost felt bad for staining her knightly honor. He secretly did appreciate the sincerity of her words but he could never let her know that.

"Well, if you insist, I guess I have no choice but to tell you what I can do." He motioned for her to take a seat before he began. Saber looked expectantly down at his legs which were stretched down to the end of the couch. "Well, what's the matter Saber? It's rude to stand over me like that when I'm trying to talk to you."

"There is no room for me to sit," she replied tersely.

"I don't know what you mean. I see plenty of spots you can pick." He gestured down to his body and his grin widened when the realization of what he was telling her to do dawned on her.

"You cannot sincerely expect me to sit in such a distasteful manner. I refuse," she said vehemently.

"Eeh, your loss then. I guess I won't be telling you anything after all." He could pinpoint the exact moment his words nearly knocked her off her feet.

"You- You would refuse me such vital information simply because I will not sit on you?" Okita mentally let out a victorious whoop when he detected the stutter in those last words.

"Well, I just don't think I can trust you if you won't follow a small order like that." He looked away with a look of mock hurt. Perhaps Saber would have been able to put up a better resistance to this certain order if she had not been putting up with his constant chidings for so long. After a minute of silence Saber finally gave in and sat as lightly as she could on his legs. The spot she picked, his shins, was actually kind of uncomfortable for him but he knew anything he was feeling was nowhere near the discomfort this was causing her. That single thought made it all completely worthwhile.

"Now that we're all situated here I _guess_ I might as well tell you what you want to know." He felt Saber shift a little closer now that he had her interest. "I guess I should start with what you probably already guessed: I'm kind of a sickly guy." She nodded to confirm she had reached that assumption herself. "I sometimes miss weeks of school because I come down with some pretty bad shit. I don't mind not seeing those assholes for a while but on the other hand being bedridden the entire time might be the only thing worse than their mugs."

That part caught Saber's attention. She cupped her chin in her hand while his words sunk in. "I see. If you come down with an illness at any point during this war we will have to completely change our tactics to accommodate for your health."

"Yeah, so we need to go on the offensive and try to take as many guys out as we can while I'm going strong." Okita shrugged carelessly and tried to ignore his stubborn streak that wanted to argue with her till dawn that he could fight in any condition he was in. The more logical part of his brain kept himself from doing that though. "Thankfully, people around here are used to me staying in because of some sickness or another. If people stop seeing me around then they'll just assume it's for the same reason as always. Course, if anyone knows I'm a Master and they come after me while I'm down…" he trailed off.

Saber met his gaze and when she spoke her voice was full of confidence. "Do not concern yourself over that. Whether we are on the streets looking for Servants or here defending from an attack I will be able to defend you without a problem. My skill with a blade will be more than enough in either situation."

He, for the first time that night, dropped his teasing attitude and gave her a sardonic grin. "C'mon Saber, don't give me this king talk. You're really disappointed to have been summoned by an invalid like me, aren't you?"

Saber simply shook her head and gave him a look that suggested the thought had never even crossed her mind. "What sort of king would I be if I could not adapt to any situation? Besides, I formed my contract with _you_, Souji, and I will serve no one else in this war."

Okita could not completely hide how caught off guard he was by the sheer honesty behind her words. He knew only two people who could speak with such conviction and honesty, and even then they would be crushed by the force this girl could put behind her words. "Ah, Saber stop. You're going to make me blush." He gave her a good natured grin and for once it was not accompanied by a tone of sarcasm or rudeness.

"What about your magecraft? I can tell your magic circuits are above average quality from our connection. What sort of abilities do you possess?"

He laughed lightly and brushed a hand through his brown hair. "You might rethink your promise not to leave me after hearing this." She gave him doubtful look. "I'm not that great as a magus. It's not that I lack the ability, because like you said, I have the circuits to be great. I never received formal training in magecraft though."

Saber's eyes widened. "Why not?"

Okita really hated talking about his past. He knew he had to share this stuff with Saber but he would much rather go back to teasing her and finding out how exactly she got the parts to be a father. He sighed, knowing it could be awhile before they got back to that conversation. "I'm not originally from around here. I come from a very traditional magus family, or so I hear. When I came around, my parents already had a daughter a few years older than me who was being taught mage craft. They weren't really sure what to do with an extra magical kid so after a while they shipped me here to a man they knew named Kondo Isami. They didn't really give him any instructions and they hid the existence of magic from me so Kondo kept it a secret from me too. I eventually found out anyway because Kondo kinda sucks at keeping secrets."

Okita chuckled lightly at the thought. He did not notice, but Saber was marveling at the warmth that came to his eyes as soon as his thoughts turned to the older man. This was the first true glimpse she caught of the boy underneath all the teasing and jokes and it seemed to surprise her that there was anything beyond that surface level at all.

"There's not much to say after that. I got Kondo to start teaching me some stuff but by that point I started showing signs of my bad health. It got in the way of my lessons so the most I could do was read some spare books that he could lend me. I can handle the basics and a few advanced spells but I don't know how much I'd amount to compared to an actual magus." His stubborn side flared up again but he knew that he had no choice but to tell Saber everything, including his faults. "I don't just sit around on my ass every day though. I'm pretty bad ass with a sword and if a magus got too close to me I'd be more than able to bust his nuts without breaking a sweat. Just don't expect me to drop a meteor on anyone, okay?"

Okita watched Saber mull over everything he told her. He could not deny how curious he was to know what she was thinking. Saber was honorable and honest, but there was no way that she could really be happy with this situation. So when she finally came out of her thoughts and nodded to him with an approving smile he was once again taken by surprise.

"Thank you for telling me everything. Your skill as a magus is nothing to be concerned about. Against a Servant, even the greatest mage would hardly stand a chance. As long as you are capable of supporting me and defending yourself then you are a capable Master in my eyes."

It was his turn to fidget when a small smile graced her face. He had to admit, it suited her features far better than all the frowns he had been subjected to since her summoning.

He was a little disappointed to feel Saber's warmth leave his legs when she stood up. She turned to him with a look of authority and he had good guess about where this was going next.

"I believe we have talked enough for tonight. You look exhausted so it is time for you to go to bed."

Okita stuck his tongue out at her. "What are you, my mom? I can make my own bedtime, thank you very much."

Saber placed her delicate hands on her hips and her favorite frown was back in place. "Souji, if you refuse to rest when you clearly need it then I will have no choice but to carry you to bed."

He gaped at her thin figure as he tried to gage whether she was serious about that threat. Saber was a good foot shorter than him and, even though she was wearing that rather concealing dress, he could plainly tell she had nowhere near the amount of muscle he did. Exactly how was she planning to pick him up? If he was not so tired he would have refused to move just so he could see her try to lift him. Instead, just this once, he gave in and stood up off the couch with a slight wobble. Apparently he was far more tired than he thought he was and if Saber had not grabbed hold of his arm he might have topped over right then and there. He gave her a silly smile before gently shaking her hand off.

Okitafirst first went to his room and came out with a set of spare clothes and then went over to the hall closet and came back with a spare pillow and blanket that he handed to Saber. She accepted them but looked a little confused about the gesture.

"Those," he pointed at the pillow and blanket, "are for sleeping." He then pointed to the change of clothes and said, "Those are so that you don't have to sleep in a big poofy dress all night. Er, please tell me it wasn't standard to wearing poofy clothes to bed in the dark ages."

"As a Servant, I have no need to sleep." Then, with a perfectly straight ans serious look she said, "I will be spending every night from now on watching over you while you sleep."

He nearly coughed a lung out as he tried to stifle another wave of laughter. "I don't think our relationship has progressed enough for me to be comfortable sleeping with you yet," he said mirthfully.

Her grip on the soft items in her hands tightened. "I would not be sleeping _with_ you. I would not even be sleeping! This is solely for your protection and is not a joking matter."

"Hmm, well I'm just not comfortable with letting that happen just yet. If you can't be good and stay out here I might have to put you out on the balcony to cool you off."

"Souji, you know my intentions have nothing to do with what you are implying!" At the sound of her raised voice, Okita ticked off another accomplishment for the night. Saber was just too easy to tease. In that way, she reminded him of another girl he was quite fond of badgering.

"And just what might I be implying?" He smiled down at her innocently and knew that he had her. Saber refused to meet his gaze and instead found sudden interest in the fluffy pillow in her hands. He gave her shoulder a gentle pat as though consoling her on a defeat. "You mentioned before that you could not astralize like a normal Servant can. If you sleep, you consume less mana, right?"

It was her turn to be surprised by him. After being teased relentlessly, gentleness was the last thing she would have expected. "You are correct in that. I still think that it would be safer if I watched over you-"

He grinned and ruffled her hair. "Nope! You'll have to buy me dinner first." With that, he turned around and walked off to his room. Just before he shut the door behind him he gave her one last smile. "Goodnight Saber. I'll see you bright and early tomorrow morning."

Just before he shut his door the rest of the way he heard a quiet "Goodnight Souji".


End file.
